Chapter 213
"Is this the Spirit World?"
"The sky is so pretty—it's rainbow-colored!"
Beyond the gate we passed through lay the Spirit World as I knew it.
A world overflowing with nature—that’s the only way to describe it.
The only man-made things in sight were the cobblestone road our carriage was traveling on and the twin clock towers visible in the distance.
Glancing to the left, one clock moved at its usual pace, while the one on the right barely inched forward.
Looks like the Spirit King kept his promise and adjusted the time for us.
As Nel and Amina gasped in awe on either side of me, the carriage continued down the cobbled road.
"There aren’t any spirits around..."
The open path stretched ahead, flanked by distant forests and hills—nothing but nature as far as the eye could see. Despite being told everyone was waiting, there wasn’t a single spirit in sight.
But that was to be expected.
"We’ll reach the barrier’s boundary soon. They’re all waiting there."
"Barrier?"
The Spirit World was divided into two parts: the outer region, where we had just entered, and the inner region, where the spirits lived.
Even in the Spirit World, by sheer coincidence, humans could sometimes wander in—once every few hundred, or even a thousand years.
Spirits weren’t meant to interact recklessly with outsiders.
So, to prevent humans from intruding into their dwelling places, the Spirit King himself had erected a barrier to create a boundary.
If you imagined a barrier as a wall, you might think of it like a "barrier"—but Amina, hearing the word, began glancing around, searching for something.
"There’s nothing like that here?"
"It’s designed to be invisible."
There was no such thing in sight—just a single straight path ahead.
To the sides, only forests and hills.
"We’re already inside that barrier."
"Eh?!"
The scenery never changed—you could call it a looped space.
Once you entered, you’d be trapped forever, walking endlessly down the same straight path. Even if you tried heading toward the clock towers, no matter how far you walked, you’d never get any closer.
We were sealed inside such a space.
As Amina’s gaze darted around even faster, I smirked and turned my attention to the spirits guiding us.
"Mii-chan! That’s not the path!"
*'This way is correct!'*
Slowly veering off the road, they began leading us toward the hills.
*'Now, this way!'*
Then, just as we started climbing the hill, they gestured for us to turn back the way we came.
Following their instructions, I steered the carriage after them.
Nel and Amina, sitting on either side, tilted their heads in confusion at the spirits’ roundabout guidance, but to me, this was a familiar way of navigating.
We crossed the road and headed toward the forest—but just as it seemed we were about to enter the trees...
*'Next, this way!'*
Instead of entering the forest, we skirted along its edge, now moving back the way we’d come.
The two girls looked like they wanted to protest—*"But that’s the way we came from!"*—but when I gave them a reassuring smile and told them to just watch, they reluctantly nodded.
As we continued along the forest’s edge...
"Ah, there’s a path."
"That wasn’t there before, right?"
A path leading into the forest appeared.
To the two of them, who had been looking around constantly since entering the Spirit World, this path had been invisible.
"Huh? We’re not going in?"
"That path’s a decoy. If we took it, we’d just end up back on the same straight road."
Instead of entering, the spirits passed right by it, continuing forward.
Here, the correct path was the one that didn’t exist.
Wandering aimlessly—or so it seemed.
The seemingly random, directionless guidance defied physics, making it feel like we weren’t moving at all. But as we pressed on...
"Ah—"
"A village!!"
The forest suddenly opened up, revealing a small settlement.
And yet, the spirits gathered there were...
*"AMINAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"*
"Seems like you’ve got fans, Amina."
"Ahaha, I’m happy, but this is kinda embarrassing..."
The village was packed with far more spirits than it could reasonably hold.
Seeing them dressed in T-shirts, waving fans and glow sticks—fully geared up for a live concert—Amina gave a slightly awkward smile and waved back.
*"WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"*
A deafening cheer erupted.
I thought I recognized some of the spirits, but right now, I really wanted to pretend I didn’t know them.
Even the brave warhorse pulling our carriage turned its head with a look that seemed to ask, *"You sure we have to go there?"*
*"It’s fine, they’re just excited. They’re good people."*
Reluctantly, the horse trudged forward until we reached the crowd. The moment we stopped, all eyes locked onto Amina.
"Should I sing a song for them first?"
"Is that a good idea? Do we even have instruments?"
"Of course not."
We hadn’t planned on a live performance, so we had no instruments.
If this kept up, Amina would have to sing a cappella—but then...
*"Halt."*
A voice brimming with authority echoed through the air.
The festive atmosphere instantly shifted as the spirits parted like the Red Sea before Moses.
"Amina, Nel, let’s get down."
Seeing the figure at the end of the path, I immediately stepped out of the carriage.
Nel, Amina, Claudiah, Lady Esmeralda, and even Ingrid all followed, kneeling in unison.
The Spirit King—Divan.
A towering figure who looked like he’d stepped straight out of Greek mythology, with a physique befitting a god.
His golden hair was swept back, and his stern face gave the impression of a man in his forties.
Behind him stood a retinue of high-ranking spirits.
The absolute ruler of this world had arrived, and my heart pounded with nervous anticipation—what would happen now?
*"My people! A live performance should be held in the grand venue I have prepared—that is the proper courtesy of a host!"*
*"OOOOOOOOOH!!!"*
But the moment I heard that declaration and the ensuing cheers, I froze.
*Wait… this isn’t the Spirit King I know.*
The Spirit King I remembered was far more dignified and imposing.
At the very least, the one I knew wouldn’t be this fired up over a concert.
*"Raise your heads, honored guests. My people have been discourteous. As the ruler of this world, I must apologize."*
Yet, his tone was exactly as I remembered.
Slowly lifting my head, I saw the Spirit King—his stern face softened by a gentle smile.
Around us, the spirits were still chanting, *"Live! Live!"* in a festival-like frenzy.
Satisfied that we had raised our heads, the Spirit King nodded and motioned for us to stand.
The moment we did, the world around us changed.
"Whoa—?!"
"Is this teleportation magic? But I’ve never heard of magic that doesn’t require incantations!"
The ground beneath us shifted from dirt to stone pavement, startling Amina. Lady Esmeralda, meanwhile, was stunned by the seamless teleportation.
*"I am the ruler of this world. Moving freely within it is only natural, is it not?"*
We now stood in the palace courtyard.
As I glanced around the familiar space, I saw spirits carrying chairs and tables, while others brought baskets of fruit.
*"First and foremost, we must speak."*
It was an impromptu arrangement, but given our differing cultures and customs, the spirits were doing their best to accommodate us.
Grateful for their efforts, I took a seat at the prepared table.
*"...You are their representative, I take it?"*
"Yes, that’s correct."
*"I see. Your soul is unique—I could tell at a glance. That must be why you attract so many extraordinary encounters. Hmm, yes, very interesting."*
After studying each of us, his gaze settled on me.
A grin spread across his face as he scrutinized me—no, not my face, but my *soul*.
I’d never told him I was a reincarnated person.
Did he already know?
*"The Goddess of Wisdom has chosen quite the rare individual. Though, I suppose that’s to be expected of Lady Kefeli."*
After a few seconds of silent observation, he finally stopped, as if satisfied with his assessment.
"So Libert really was chosen by the gods..."
*"Oh? You were unaware?"*
Claudiah was the first to react.
She had always regarded me as a "child beloved by the gods," but that was based on faith, not proof.
Now, the Spirit King’s words had all but confirmed it.
"I’ve never met any gods."
*"Hmm. That’s unusual for the diligent one. You must have struggled."*
"Well, somewhat."
My life had started in the back alleys.
Even though I knew I was a reincarnated person, I could never fully accept being called a "hero."
Being told I was "chosen by the gods" just made me want to say, *"I don’t know anything about that."*
*"So there’s more to it, then."*
"You’d have to ask the gods about that. I’m just trying to survive."
*"You’re different from the other heroes."*
"You know about them? The other heroes?"
*"Of course. Spirits exist in every continent. Those heroes move with such flamboyance that word of them spreads easily."*
As for why the gods reincarnated me—I still had no clue.
"What are those other heroes working toward?"
*"Their goals vary. The young heroine of the west seeks justice and aims to unify her nation. The northern hero trains relentlessly to hone his strength. The eastern boy amasses wealth to enrich his people."*
Even if you added me—and Hyurida’s quest to defeat the evil god—into the mix, the reason for my reincarnation remained unclear.
*"Though their paths differ, all heroes ultimately share one common goal."*
"And that is?"
*"The defeat of the Evil God. Every hero strives for this. Yet, the Hero chosen by the Goddess of Wisdom remains unaware… curious, is it not?"*
How ironic—a champion of the Goddess of Wisdom who doesn’t even know his own mission.
Why had she withheld this information from me?
Was there some reason I *shouldn’t* defeat the Evil God?
"Spirit King, do you know why the other heroes aim to defeat the Evil God?"
*"I do. But I am forbidden from telling you. This restriction applies not just to you, but to all heroes."*
The Spirit King, who surely knew the answer, immediately shook his head, refusing to elaborate.
If that was the case, no amount of questioning would get me anywhere.
There was some greater purpose behind my reincarnation—and the restriction on information about the Evil God.
Still, learning even this much was valuable.
"I understand. I won’t ask further."
*"That is wise. Besides, I’d hate to spoil the fun that awaits us."*
With that, the "service time" was over—now, it was time for the main event.
"You want us to perform a live concert, right?"
*"Indeed. Word of this ‘entertainment’ has spread among my people. It would be unacceptable for their king to remain the only one who hasn’t experienced it."*
Since I’d already guessed his request, I cut straight to the point.
The Spirit King nodded in satisfaction.
*"I shall reward you handsomely. Will you not grant me this one performance?"*